Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers brings up a very important issue that I would like to address!
Clouds and darkness are round about Him. — Psalm 97:2
A man who
has not been born of the Spirit of God will tell you that the teachings of
Jesus are simple. But when you are baptised with the Holy Ghost, you find
“clouds and darkness are round about Him.” When we come into close contact with
the teachings of Jesus Christ we have our first insight into this aspect of
things. The only possibility of understanding the teaching of Jesus is by the
light of the Spirit of God on the inside. If we have never had the experience
of taking our commonplace religious shoes off our commonplace religious feet,
and getting rid of all the undue familiarity with which we approach God, it is
questionable whether we have ever stood in His presence. The people who are
flippant and familiar are those who have never yet been introduced to Jesus
Christ. After the amazing delight and liberty of realizing what Jesus Christ does, comes the impenetrable darkness of
realizing Who He is.
Jesus
said: “The words that I speak unto you,” not — “the words I have spoken,” —
“they are spirit, and they are life.” The Bible has been so many words to us —
clouds and darkness — then all of a sudden the words become spirit and life
because Jesus re-speaks them to us in a particular condition. That is the way
God speaks to us, not by visions and dreams, but by words. When a man gets to
God it is by the most simple way of words.
First of all, let me correct something here. It is NOT correct to say that God will not use visions and dreams. Acts 2:17 says this:
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
What IS correct, however, is that God does NOT speak to US by visions and dreams, but through His Word and BY Holy Spirit Who lives IN us! If we do have a vision or a dream, it must be in line with the Word of God or it is not FROM God! Any vision, dream, prophecy or other 'word from the LORD' that is actually FROM the LORD, will be backed up with the Word of God! That is our true gauge for the things that we see, hear or have spoken over us! What I believe that Oswald Chambers is actually saying is that God speaks to the born again, Spirit-filled believer FIRST of all by that still small voice of Holy Spirit within. IF we choose to believe and receive from HIM, then more will be revealed! Be obedient to what you already know to do and He will give you more! AMEN! Another way to sum up what is being said above, especially in the first paragraph, is by THIS verse in Psalm 103:7:
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
The people saw the things that God had done, but only Moses was in close, intimate contact with God! Moses KNEW God, His thoughts, ways, methods, emotions and all that you would know of someone with whom you spend time, giving attention to! Those who want to go on into the deeper things of God will have to pray, with Paul, Philippians 3:8-11:
8 Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),
9 And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law’s demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith.
10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]
11 That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].
This KNOWING comes by daily meditation of the Word of God with the help and aid of the Spirit of God, Who is our TEACHER! The ONLY limits that there are on just how much each of us can KNOW Him are those we put upon ourselves! Will YOU follow on to KNOW Him? Then you have made a worthy choice and Holy Spirit will give you all of the help and aid that you will need! Good hunting for TRUTH to you! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Look Too The Son":
Shalom in Him!
